Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted grape variety in the world and is a red wine grape of relatively recent origin. Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc and is late-maturing, vigorous and rather resistant to diseases and pests. Although its yields are quite low, this grape variety has become famous for the quality of juice it produces.

One of the best Cabernet Sauvignon terroirs is that of the Bordeaux region, where it is used in conjunction mainly with Merlot , but also with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and, more rarely, Malbec and Carmenere. King of the Left Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon has helped to make the great chateaux of Medoc famous before being adopted in wine regions all over the world. Cabernet Sauvignon is now considered an international varietal and is found in very diverse regions such as Napa Valley in California, where it is used to produce some of the greatest wines in the world, in Chile, in the Italian Super Tuscans (Tuscany) and even more recently in China, where it has been heavily planted in recent years.

The red wines made of Cabernet Sauvignon are characterized by an intense color. They tend to offer aromas of red fruits, blackcurrant or black cherry, along with the occasional black pepper or violet. They can evolve complex notes of mint and chocolate. The thick skins of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes make for full-bodied wines with lots of color pigments and tannins, designed to be aged in the bottle. Because of this characteristic, it is a red wine grape variety that combines very well with oak barrels and becomes suppler in aging.